EASTER TWO . . . Allelu! Allelu!

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER | ALLELU, ALLELU!

Lexegete™ | Year A

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER

March 30, 2008
Acts 2:14a, 22-32
Psalm 16 (11)
1 Peter 1:3-9
John 20:19-31
Color: White

1A. CONTEXT: John 20:19-31



In an attempt to find some new life in a passage that is always the
gospel reading for Easter 2, I make some hefty assumptions about John's
context. The community this gospel writer addresses in the last two
decades of the first century has been cast out of the synagogue. John's
task includes proclaiming God's good news for all who will hear,
independent of some centuries-old religious traditions. In doing so,
synagogue, festivals, and ancient understandings (signs) must all be looked
at anew through the glory of the cross of Christ. The "Jews" for John are
the religious authorities who are linked to the changes that led to the
expulsion of Christians from the synagogue.

Having said all that, it seem that the Christians had a second
plague that was causing trouble in those last days of century one. The
gnostics tended to spiritualize everything and disdain the worldly, even
perhaps to the point of resembling schizophrenia. They were twisting the
Christian message, and particularly the role of the Spirit's influence. They
embraced the concrete thinking of epic drama, good vs. evil, etc.

John's gospel attempted to move away from the narrowness of a
choking tradition and a self-centered spirituality. Our lesson comes at the
end of Chapter 20. It is an ending to a gospel, largely assumed to have had
Chapter 21 appended later. This lesson includes a Pentecost event, the
faith struggle of Thomas, perhaps a type for all the earliest Christians,
and a concluding disclaimer. There is more here than just a doubter's
confession.

Thomas can be described as Jesus' most loyal follower in John's
gospel. When Jesus shares the news that Lazarus is dead (11:14), and has
implied its meaning lies in God's glory (11:4), Thomas suggest they all
return to Bethany to die together (11:16). When Jesus used the figure of
the Father's house to indicate a place for all his followers, it is again
Thomas who speaks. He might be the lightning rod that asks the question
on everyone's mind. His question on Jesus' direction leads to Jesus'
answer on three "I am's": the way, the truth, the life (14:1-6).

And here in Chapter 20 Thomas is asking for a tangible sign of Jesus'
resurrection from death. He, like so many before, also wants to see Jesus.
And in his encounter with Jesus, Thomas sees him alive again, yet carrying
the wounds of his former life. Jesus' image becomes one with the story
of every converted heart, beginning with Thomas, our disciple-father.
Jesus' wounds were visible, Thomas' doubts were recorded, our "wounds"
are remembered by us long after our "healing" too.

In this lesson as in Luke's story of the walk along the Emmaus Road,
Jesus proves to be the most effective witness to the resurrection.

1B. TEXT: John 20:19-31

19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” Jesus and Thomas

24 Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, [1] was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
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[1] 20:24 Greek, Didymus
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19ουσης ουν οψιας τη ημερα εκεινη τη μια σαββατων, και των θυρων κεκλεισμενων οπου ησαν οι μαθηται δια τον φοβον των ιουδαιων, ηλθεν ο ιησους και εστη εις το μεσον και λεγει αυτοις, ειρηνη υμιν. 20και τουτο ειπων εδειξεν τας χειρας και την πλευραν αυτοις. εχαρησαν ουν οι μαθηται ιδοντες τον κυριον. 21ειπεν ουν αυτοις [ο ιησους] παλιν, ειρηνη υμιν: καθως απεσταλκεν με ο πατηρ, καγω πεμπω υμας. 22και τουτο ειπων ενεφυσησεν και λεγει αυτοις, λαβετε πνευμα αγιον: 23αν τινων αφητε τας αμαρτιας αφεωνται αυτοις, αν τινων κρατητε κεκρατηνται. 24θωμας δε εις εκ των δωδεκα, ο λεγομενος διδυμος, ουκ ην μετ αυτων οτε ηλθεν ιησους. 25ελεγον ουν αυτω οι αλλοι μαθηται, εωρακαμεν τον κυριον. ο δε ειπεν αυτοις, εαν μη ιδω εν ταις χερσιν αυτου τον τυπον των ηλων και βαλω τον δακτυλον μου εις τον τυπον των ηλων και βαλω μου την χειρα εις την πλευραν αυτου, ου μη πιστευσω. 26και μεθ ημερας οκτω παλιν ησαν εσω οι μαθηται αυτου και θωμας μετ αυτων. ερχεται ο ιησους των θυρων κεκλεισμενων, και εστη εις το μεσον και ειπεν, ειρηνη υμιν. 27ειτα λεγει τω θωμα, φερε τον δακτυλον σου ωδε και ιδε τας χειρας μου, και φερε την χειρα σου και βαλε εις την πλευραν μου, και μη γινου απιστος αλλα πιστος. 28απεκριθη θωμας και ειπεν αυτω, ο κυριος μου και ο θεος μου. 29λεγει αυτω ο ιησους, οτι εωρακας με πεπιστευκας; μακαριοι οι μη ιδοντες και πιστευσαντες. 30πολλα μεν ουν και αλλα σημεια εποιησεν ο ιησους ενωπιον των μαθητων [αυτου], α ουκ εστιν γεγραμμενα εν τω βιβλιω τουτω: 31ταυτα δε γεγραπται ινα πιστευ[ς]ητε οτι ιησους εστιν ο χριστος ο υιος του θεου, και ινα πιστευοντες ζωην εχητε εν τω ονοματι αυτου. Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 26th edition
© 1979, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, Germany



2. ANALYSIS: John 20:19-31

A) Eirene in John's gospel.

The PEACE that Jesus leaves with people is meant to ease
troubled hearts (14:27). When he speaks of the passion events to come,
Jesus adds that PEACE will be available in him (16:33). In the post-
resurrection account (20:19, 21,26) PEACE (shalom? healing?) from God is
offered as a greeting and as a gift to ease their grieving and fearful
hearts.

PEACE is given in Christ to bring the followers of Jesus through
the trials of separation.

B) pneuma agion & pneuma in John's gospel.

The HOLY SPIRIT is to be a gift to believers at the time of
Christ's glory in the cross event (7:39). The counselor is the SPIRIT of
truth and will bear witness to Christ (15:26). The SPIRIT of truth will
guide people in all truth (16:13). The Counselor, the HOLY SPIRIT, sent
from the Father, will teach all things and bring to remembrance all Jesus
had said (14:26).

C) Use of "Peace" and "Holy Spirit" in our lesson.

Jesus greeted the disciples on Easter evening with his gift of
PEACE that their unburdened hearts might be open to receive the gift of
the HOLY SPIRIT and the office of keys (20:21-23). PEACE is extended the
following week to the group which then included Thomas (20:26).



3. STRATEGY: John 20:19-31

For John, "God so loved the WORLD" -- hard words for a gnostic to
speak and so a corrective to their brand of exclusive spirituality. But
included in this world were religious leaders, "Jews," who wanted
Christians out of the synagogues in the latter years of the first century.
Loyalty to people and things had always been the first order of faith.
Jesus' exchange with Thomas was to move him beyond the concrete
tradition of "seeing is believing."

Throughout the fourth gospel, signs of the miraculous had been
re-interpreted to give greater meaning to the true single event of glory,
the cross. Through the "I am" passages, God's presence is made known in
Christ, in the world.

Through the course of twenty chapters, the evangelist understands
the theology of Jesus' mission as replacing traditional Jewish observances
with the living presence of the Lord. Old Testament precedents abound. In
the exile, the prophets in Babylon had de-emphasized the Temple Cult.
Abraham's attempted sacrifice of Isaac on the mountain can be seen as a
corrective to practices of ancient child sacrifice. So, too, in John's gospel
we read in Jesus' exchange with the woman at the well (John 4) her
wanting to talk about religious things with the good rabbi. She
specifically mentions the cultic site of the Northern Kingdom's temple.
Jesus comes back with a replacement for her, too (Jn 4:21, 23-24).



Since it was to be that Christians were denied access to the
synagogue, the Spirit would be their strength. In Raymond Brown's Anchor
Bible commentary on John, two whole divisions of the book deal with the
reinterpretation of signs and festivals.

What of Thomas' encounters? Is he singled out to voice the loyalty
and concern of all the other followers? If that is so, the risen Christ is
also replacing traditional ways of religious behavior. No longer bound by
traditional concrete thinking, Thomas is called to make room for the
Spirit's work among the fellowship. Yes, Jesus is alive for Thomas and the
others, carrying the wounds of his former life. And yes, Thomas, too,
showed evidence of his wounds as he demanded signs. But the gospel
writer countered the gnostics by grounding Christ's mission to this world.
So, in opposite fashion, Thomas' struggles in this world would not
suddenly be relieved or spiritualized in the presence of Jesus. Thomas
received God's peace and came to faith (20:26, 28). The others, too, had
rejoiced in Christ's resurrected presence. That peace prompted Thomas'
joyous confession, "My Lord and my God" (20:28b).


The sign and the peace combined in the moment and converted
Thomas' heart to a new understanding. Here one last time in John 20, an
outward sign's miraculous nature was superceded by the living presence of
God among humankind. The message of the gospel writer was completed
and made whole in that moment of conversion for Thomas. In the future
the gift Thomas received would come through the Holy Spirit's prompting.
Christ's mission was complete. As on the Emmaus Road for Luke, Jesus
turns out to be the best witness to the resurrection.



















4. REFERENCES: John 20:19-31



Brown, Raymond E. THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN. 2 vol. (Anchor Bible).
New York: Doubleday, 1966, 1970.

Jeske, Richard L. NEW TESTAMENT: TOWARD A HISTORICAL
UNDERSTANDING. Lawrence, Kansas: University of Kansas, 1977.

Martyn, J.L. HISTORY AND THEOLOGY IN THE FOURTH GOSPEL. New York:
Harper & Row, 1968.



5. WORSHIP SUGGESTIONS: John 20:19-31


It is a privilege to preach on the second Sunday of Easter. It is a day when your parish's staunchest supporters are present to celebrate Easter all over again. Sing their favorite Easter hymns. If there is a hymn
that rallies the faithful, include it. Also, the last six stanzas of "O Sons and Daughters of the King" tell the gospel story.
There is an obvious parallel between those who are most faithful in church attendance and those closest to our Lord who gathered Easter evening. Without sounding exclusive, let those present on "low
Sunday" know that they are special and appreciated.
Perhaps the pastors of our churches might do some Johannine re-interpreting and give some other week to the Vicars and associates who have traditionally received the assignment to preach on the so-called
"Doubting Thomas."

Exegete: Paul Beck

Rev. Paul R. Beck began serving at Little Zion, Telford PA, in November of 1987. He has served congregations in Ridgewood, Queens, NY; Worcester, MA; and Norristown, PA. Paul received his undergraduate degree from Wittenberg University (Ohio) in 1970. He received his MDiv from the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia in 1978. Prior to serving in ministry, Paul worked as a production stage manager off Broadway, appearing in Godspell.
He is married to Linda and they are the parents of three adult children. Paul's ministry at Little Zion includes administration, worship and music leadership, stewardship, evangelism, social ministry and outreach programs. His favorite Bible verse is from Matthew 28:20 when Jesus says: "And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."










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